A life taken 'too suddenly’: Mourners honor Newark Imam Hassan Sharif

Thousands of mourners filled the NIA Masjid and Community Center in Newark early Saturday to pay tribute to Imam Hassan Sharif, with crowds so large that people packed the mosque and its parking lot, joining prayers aired over speakers.

The 52-year-old husband, father and spiritual leader was shot and killed after morning prayers early Wednesday outside Masjid Muhammad-Newark, where he served as imam for five years. After his funeral service, he was laid to rest at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover.

“It was a life that was taken quickly, too suddenly and too senselessly,” said Daud Haqq, president of the Tri-State Imams Council and imam of the NIA Masjid and Community center.

“Indeed, this individual who killed our imam did not just kill one person,” Haqq said. “He has killed someone who has filled the position of imam, leader of his community, husband, father, brother and friend; one who was an example for the youth in our community and who genuinely cared for all those around him; one who laughed, whose laughter was loud and whose spirit was light.”

Sharif was born in Manhattan, attended West Side High School in Newark and received a degree in criminal justice. He was a former professional boxer and an agent for the Transportation Security Administration. He leaves behind a wife, Aisha Sharif, four siblings, five children, three stepchildren and seven grandchildren, his obituary said.

NJ: Father, former boxer, anti-violence activist: A community mourns death of Newark imam

His daughter Tanasia Ransom told reporters Saturday that her family was touched by the outpouring of love and support in recent days.

“Hassan was a great dad, husband and a true pillar in the community,” Ransom said. “And I just want to say thank you for all the support from everywhere, overseas and everything. We appreciate it. It just speaks to who he was as a person. Everybody is doing their best to support us. I cannot describe how it makes us feel knowing how many lives he touched.

“And to the killer,” Ransom added, “they’ll find you. I’m sure of it.”

Leader for faith and justice

People came from across the region to pay tribute to Sharif, who was known as an inspiring leader who served the public and who rallied for justice.

“He was a master consoler and counselor, and he stood by members of our community who were shut-in and bereaved. He visited schools and helped students understand and see what it means to be a leader,” said Dr. Tony Al-Amin, president of Masjid Muhammad.

“You could see him in the streets demonstrating for social change and at the food bank on South Orange Avenue, twice a month, serving our brothers and sisters in need. And at night and in the early hours of the morning, he was in the masjid, remembering his Lord."

In his community, Sharif was known as an advocate against violence and for social change. He weaved Islam into all that he said and did, Al-Amin added.

Sharif’s family received condolences from Muslim leaders, elected officials, clergy and community leaders across New Jersey and the nation. A fundraiser for his funeral costs and family raised over $200,000 within hours, said Sami Shaban, a representative of the New Jersey Muslim Coalition.

The person who shot the imam is still at large. The Essex County Sheriff's Office Crime Stoppers Program is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. The Council on American-Islamic Relations of New Jersey has announced an additional $10,000 reward.

At the funeral, a Newark woman who prays at Masjid Muhammad recalled how the imam was deeply knowledgeable about faith. She took Arabic class at the mosque taught by the imam. "I watched how he gave back to the community, with coat drives, dinners, feeding the community. Once I learned [about his death], it made me feel empty," she said.

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Shaken to the core

The imam’s death sent shock waves throughout Muslim communities at a time when bigotry and bias is on the rise. Dina Sayedahmed, communications manager for CAIR-NJ, said harmful narratives about Muslims, including Black Muslims, have fanned flames.

“This is not just ‘another day of violence in Newark,’” she said. “This incident has shaken our community to its core. Our safety — and the safety of the Masjid Muhammad community especially — is at stake. We continue to call on masjid across the state to keep their doors open, while simultaneously remaining cautious. This is not a time to close our doors. Our communities are hurting, and the only way forward is together."

Al-Amin said the mosque where Sharif inspired so many would remain open for worship.

“As for us, the Masjid Muhammad community,” he said. “We will continue to come together as sisters and brothers because that is what our beloved imam taught us. We will mourn our loss, but we will remain strong and steadfast."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A life taken 'too suddenly’: Mourners honor Newark imam